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Flying Ointments

Flying ointment (also called witches' flying ointment, green ointment, magic salve and lycanthropic ointment) is oftimes a hallucinogenic salve applied to the skin to induce trance or a trance like state. It was believed to be used by witches to travel to Sabbat rites and to roam on the astral plane.

It was previously made from animal fat as this was the base most often available to the poor, the herbs would be rendered in the fat to extract the chemicals responsible for achieving the trance state or “flying”. Most of the herbs in the Flying Ointment were from the Solanaceae family, herbs from this family contain the alkaloids atropine, hyoscyamine, and scopolamine which, if ingested, can cause severe poisoning, heart failure and heart problems among other things, not least of all if you’re not careful, death. It was thought that the witches flying ointment was specifically linked to the medieval period however there are a lot of instances throughout pre-christian history that log uses of salves and ointments to achieve an altered state. Archeology has found that herbs from this family may have been used as far back as the Neolithich period which shows our ancestors were using hallucinogenics well before the rise of civilisation as we now view it.

A flying ointment works by lowering the perceived barriers between our world and others, allowing us to glimpse the other side, to commune with spirits and help with shapeshifting, hedge crossing, divine information and astral projection. Flying ointment can also help enhance personal power to give a boost to magical workings. It may also allow the witch to connect with powers she may not normally have access to.

To use ointment, apply to any of the following places: third eye, soles of the feet, armpits, inner wrists or the base of your neck. It is best not to touch any other places on your body, nor children or pets. Make sure hands are washed thoroughly before putting them anywhere near your mouth, eyes etc. And most of all, keep the ointment away from children and pets, you don’t want any accidental poisonings.